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NTH English Club
NTH's English Club, or sometimes referred to as NTH's English Speaking Club, is an extra-curriculum and all-English club at Nguyen Thuong Hien High School, Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam. It organizes weekly meetings on Saturday afternoon from 1:30pm to 5:00pm (2 sessions with one and half an hour each and a break between them) at the school's Multimedia Room No.5. The official website of the Club is http://www.facebook.com/nthenglishclub Principles and Aims The club is dedicated to the improvement of English skills, especially the public speaking skills, of its members and staff. Hence the Club's main activities each week involve the interaction of the members and have them use their English as much as possible so that they can get better at it. That is why it always puts a strong emphasis on the discussion part and the debate part in the club's program. Although the two parts mentioned above could be really boring, considered by some people, the club still has its ways to enhance them by choosing attractive topics and employing the humorous style of hosting. Not only does the club provide normal English activities, but it also organizes a number of various other events such as The Halloween Party, NTH's Got Talent. Those events listed previously are good opportunities for the students of NTH High to show their exceptional talents, giving them a chance to perform in a school-wide stage. History of NTH's English Club 'The Past English Club' It was a club established by Foreign Language Department of the school some time in the dim and distant past. It was mainly operated by the faculty of the School especially the Foreign Language Teachers. They arranged a themed meeting every month with a view to helping the students to relax after the long, hard time learning at school and giving them a chance to participate in extra-curriculum activity (which was not obligatory at the time) as well as to improve their own English level. Unfortunately, due to numerous different occurrences and lack of funding, the club was consequently forced to close down. And from that on, there was no actual English activities heard of in Nguyen Thuong Hien High school until the creation of the new English Club. 'NTH's English Club (2008 - present)' Along with the increasing amount of clubs of the school plus the stronger support and funding for extra-curriculum activity, English Club was again revitalized itself by the students this time. In 2008, a group of four schoolgirls planned the reconstruction of the Club. It was a collaborative project of AVA and ATCA, 2 of the classes that are specialized in English. They were the first founders of the current English Club who laid the very foundation for today's success. They started everything from scratch without any support, both mentally and financially from the school's board. At first, it was a weak, nascent, destitute and underground club with no official standing at the school. The founders at the time had to fund the activities for themselves and asked for the support from its members, which there were not too many because the students did not pay much attention to it. The Club usually ran a seires of meetings based on special dates such as Christmas, Valentine's Day, Tet Holiday etc. on an irregular basis. The number of people attending these events invariably fluctuated between somewhat 20 or less and they had to register in advance in order to participate. Although the Club could only have a paucity of people taking part in its activities, it can be said with clear confidence that those events were a brand new breeze blowing right to the rigid atmosphere of the School at the time, paving the path for the upcoming, new and exciting changes. In those old days, NTH's English Club did not have a fixed club room to operate, whenever they needed one, the head of the club submitted the request for a location to the Supervisor Department. And only after so many unnecessary and pro forma procedures could they be given one. But there was an advantage to that: the Club could do whatever they liked such as field games, etc. which the present club would not be able to provide to its members because of the school's regulations. They enjoyed the privilege of being the out-law and they did not have to bear any responsibility to the school. Be that as it may, they were not allowed to organize any significant event on their own as they were not an official club of the school. That was something really lamentable and woeful to the club. As time went by, the second generation of the club took office. In the year of 2009, some teachers saw the great potentials that the club possesses and decided to make it an official extra-curriculum club. From that day on, it was put directly under the school's Foreign Language Department's surveillance. Hence, the rules were tightened especially on punctuality and discipline. A teacher advisor from Foreign Language Department was appointed to oversee the club's organization and activity. And, more than all of that, the club now acquires a permanent clubroom to operate. It is equipped with an LCD, an air conditioner, a not-so-modern-but-kind-of-useful computer. The staff and the members can use those at their disposal every Saturday afternoon to organize events and meetings. Escaping the quandary faced by the former leaders, this new generation and those onward bear greater responsibility on their shoulders. But with the advantage that no other clubs can ever have, NTH's English Club is now the most burgeoning club in the whole school. The number of members of the club is now exceeding over 80 and keeps rising. Organization 'The Departments' There are several different departments since the beginning of the Club. Staff members are placed into various departments depending on what they are capable of. The first four basic departments were created by the second generation of the English Club in 2009. They are: ''Educational Department Staff members working in this department hold the title of Academic Consultant. They are mainly responsible for preparing each week plan. To incorporate what English knowledge into the lesson taught to the members is one of the examples of what they do. This position requires great time commitment for researching and finding suitable material from all possible sources, and trying to add more useful things into each week's meeting. Moreover, the department also set up several projects on teaching methodology. A keen and organized mind is prerequisite condition for anyone who wish to apply for the job as an Academic Consultant. Being judicious and cognizant is also a requirement for staff members here. The Vice Director of NTH's English Club is usually appointed to be the head of this department. Human Resources Department Considered as the headhunter of the English Club, this department helps with recruiting new staff members and putting them in the appropriate positions. But during the past few years, the need for this department starts to dwindle as the recruitment job is now the responsibility of all members of staff. An additional, and mostly accessory, position known as Personnel Manager or Chief of Staff is the head of this department. This person can be chosen from member of other departments in the club. Multimedia Department Graphic Designer is the official title of the members in this special department. In order to be accepted for this post, applicants are asked to perform their proficiency in using Photoshop, demonstrate their very innate creativity and always remain up-to-date with the knowledge of contemporary art (more information at "''Application for Graphic Designer / Technician" below). There is virtually no requirement for English Skill. This is the exception for this department. Their main jobs are to prepare Powerpoint presentation for each week's meeting; design banners, posters, leaflets, handouts, etc., whenever needed. And most importantly, they, sometimes along with Educational Department, create games for the club. Being creative and innovative is the most important characteristic of the members in this department. ''Foreign Affair & Public Relation Department This is the one who specializes in negotiation for the club. Raising fund, inviting foreigners to the club are among the work of this department. Members here are required to have an extremely good speaking skill, especially the ability to persuade others. Also, they also need to be in many different circles and have a large network of friends and acquaintances. Sense of humor is the characteristic of the member working in this department. The Director of NTH's English Club often also assumes the role as the head for this department. All the aforementioned departments are subject to change depending on the staff that is in office. Some are merged; others are dismissed while some others new are created in order to fit the need of the staff. 'The Titles' This includes the ones stated above (i.e., Academic Consultant, Graphic Designer, Vice Director and Director) and a few ancillary, and maybe ad-hoc, positions. Those are Academic Assitant, Personnel Manager/Chief of Staff and Treasurer. Director and Vice Director The two most pivotal roles in the Club. They are in charge of overall quality control, negotiation with the school, etc. In other words, they are the paramount leaders. Any important decision must reach them before it can be enacted. Academic Assistant This position is created when there is no Academic Consultant available. Unlike Academic Consultant which can be given to many staff members as long as they work in Educational Department, Academic Assistant can only be held by one person and therefore replaces all the former. He or she who holds this title has the responsibility to supervise and monitor all academic activity of the Club and make sure they are up-to-date. The first person ever to be in this position is Nguyễn Thụy Như Quỳnh ( in office 2011-2012 ). Personnel Manager / Chief of Staff When the number of staff members exceeds 20, this position is appointed in order to maintain good quality control for the Club. He or she will supervise every single activity of the Club. Personnel Manager is also the one who receives feedback from the members so as to use it to improve the operation of the staff. Treasurer Unlike the two above, this is not an accessory role. And more specially, there is only one person in charge of this position. Whoever acquires this job always has the gift to manage the fund given to the Club very well along with the capability to perform many difficult calculations very fast and precise. Accredited as the most trusted person in NTHEC, Treasurer can only and will always be appointed by the Director of the Club. Collaborator This is an official title for some members who help to organzie some of NTHEC's events. The Recruitment & Staff Training This procedure is carried out during the summer period and ends in December of the same year until the club has the sufficient amount of staff members needed for operation. The need for such process stems from a very obvious reason: all senior staff members shall be leaving to prepare for their up-coming University Entrance Exam. 'Application' Application for positions other than Graphic Designer / Technician In order to be accepted to the club as a staff member, one must undergo a face-to-face interview to test their English level and compatibility for the job they request. All positions are asked to demonstrate the ability to speak in front of a group of people ,i.e. to host a meeting, debate. Every applicant should make an appointment for the interview with the staff members. Upon coming to the interview, they are required to prepare beforehand two most important things: *A brief but adequate self-introduction. This tests how one can impress others upon their first meeting. Any missing information caused by the applicant's inability can badly hurt the chance of being granted a position in the club. *A chosen topic of preference. The presentation of this topic should be between 3 to 5 minutes. This length is subject to change each year. Please contact the current staff members responsible for this task for more detail. This will test how well you manage your ability to present a topic in front of a crowd without feeling lost or shy. Again, this is another important factor for the staff to decide whether one is up to the tasks in club. After that, a topic will be given to the applicant by the interviewers. Applicants will get five minutes to prepare and subsequently respond to it. Different questions then are asked depending on how well the applicants handle the first part of the interview. The special point about this part is that it takes the form of a debate which mean one will get the chance to argue with the staff member. This will help the interviewers judge one's ability to react when confronted with a whole new unprepared situation. When the interview is over, the result might be informed immediately or after a few days as the staff will have to reconsider some exceptional case before making final decision. A complete feedback of performance on the interview will be given to every applicant in the form of speech in order to help them improve their English Skills. If not satisfied, one may file an instantaneous appeal to the staff about the result. A note-worthy point here is that one can always re-apply immediately for job at NTHEC if they have failed the interview. However, it is highly recommended that he/she should not because the result will, most of the time, not change (or at most very minimal). Further trainning is what being indicated at this point. Another try-out next year or after several months is proven to be more effective but still there is no guarantee that one will succeed in being granted a position in the club. Application for Graphic Designer / Technician In order to apply for the position as Graphic Designer or Technician, one will have to contact the current head of Multimedia Department and have an appointment. However, this appointment will very brief and straight to point. It is just something for the recruiters to get first impression from the applicants. Everything will be based solely on the Portfolio that is handed in. Applicants will be given a topic to design. They can use whatever technique they want, spend as much time as they like on it. The only thing that matters is the final result. After a certain deadline, they will have to submit their portfolio by having it sent to NTHEC's email or the recruiter's email. Failure to comply with such regulation will result in complete rejection of one's application. However, this might be overlooked for some exceptional case, in which one exceeds far more than the expectation from the recruiter. And also, applicants might be able to request for the extension of time for reasons such as Midterm Exam, Test, etc. But the decision whether to lengthen the time or not is all up to the recruiters; if they deem the reason is irrelevant or unsatisfactory then no extension is given. Applicants are expected to design more than one pattern for the Club as it is necessary to fairly judge one's ability through their works. There is virtually no English Skills required from applicants. Anyone with limited English Level can apply for such position. 'Staff Training' This process involves the senior teaching the junior or can be the junior doing their sharpening on their skills. 'Benefits' 'For Members' 'For Staff Members'''